Getting in the Groove

So, my house is clean and the children aren't trying to eat each other... thus? I shall blog!

OK, so now, since writing that first sentence, it's two hours later.  Why?

I have four kids.

That should answer everything, but in case you're really morbidly curious?

Lex brings in a blank notebook and wants me to help her write a song.  This involves spelling out the words she wants to use.

"Y-O-U"

Sayer and Caly get into a screaming match.  Lex screams to be heard over them, "HOW DO YOU SPELL YOU!?"

Sayer bonks Caly on the head.  More shouting commences. I try anyway,

"Y-O-U!"

Lex glares at her sister.  "MOMMY!  I CAN'T HEAR YOU! HOW DO YOU SPELL YOOOOOOU!?"

I break up the fighting duo and send them to different corners.

Baby starts fussing.  I sneak in his room to replace the pacifier. My sneaking was for naught... I have three little people in my wake, all seemingly uncomprehending the furtive "SHHHHHHHHHH's" that I'm doing.  Baby's awake.

I bounce the baby a bit to get gas bubble out.  He's cranky. Cries. Caly taunts Sayer with a book and then holds it over her head and says, "YOU CAN'T HAVE IT!" Sayer lunges towards her.  She shrieks and runs. He's faster, catches her, and when he can't reach the book, wacks her in the head again.

Once I sort out that mess, I turn back towards the computer.  I can type one handed, right?

I turn to ask Lexi a question in time to see Sayer lean on his bowl of cereal that he insisted he wasn't finished and send it careening onto the floor.  Being that it's dry cereal, it skitters all across the kitchen.

I change two poopy diapers.

The baby spits up on my otherwise clean shirt.

The 3 big kids and I take turns making the baby smile. Caly totally wins at this.

There's a brief scuffle over the rocking chair.  You know, the one that no one wants to use until someone else uses it.

(Why doesn't that work for eating veggies?)

We have an impromptu dance party.

I sneak away and eat a brownie.

When I turn around, Lex is in the doorway with her hands on her hips, "Mooooooooommmmy?  What are you doing?"  Caly appears and cuts to the chase, "Gimme a brownie."  I raise my eyebrows.

"Please."  She grins.

I share.

The kids hug my legs, inhale the brownies, and are off to some magical  land of imagination involving Bobo the dog, a cheese farm, dance class and a baby gym.

And here I am again.  Hiding in the bathtub with the door locked.

Kidding!

(Maybe)

Brothers In Cahoots

It's no secret that Sayer is enamored with his baby brother. He can't walk by the baby without giving him a kiss or tipping his head to the side and asking, "I hold Zoen, Mama, I hold Zoen?"

Half the time, he'll "hold" the baby and say, "He's laughing, Mama, he's LAUGHING!" Sometimes, I'll peer down and Z will be grinning away, other times? Zoen is fully asleep.  But hey, whatever encourages a good sibling relationship!

Yesterday, Sayer was sitting next to me on the floor as I changed Zoen's diaper.  I got distracted by something shiny, (the more tired I am, the easier it is... we've had a lot of half finished tasks around here lately), and the next thing I knew, I felt something on my leg... that unmistakable wet warmth.  I shrieked and jumped backwards before covering Z's er, bits, with a diaper.

Sayer looked at me and dissolved into giggles.  Then he got down next to Zoen's face, grinned at him, and said, "Do it again, brudder, do it again!"

Thank goodness Z doesn't have the control to follow Sayer's commands yet, because I have no doubt that little one will do exactly what his big brother asks.  (Which, combined with Sayer doing near everything his sisters ask? Um, might be dangerous).

Personal Space

Those of you with small children are quietly asking, "Um, personal space? What's that?"

Exactly.

The mind has a funny way of forgetting just how intensely close and touchy a newborn baby is.  (And really, if you have to be clung to by any variety of human, isn't the tiniest and most snuggly the best choice?)

Before he was born, my personal space violations often had to do with not being able to pee in peace or having boogers wiped on my shoulder.  Not too bad.  But now?  Things are a bit different.  Now, I've got a frequently nursing snuggly little new baby on my person more often than not. Which is manageable, until the rest follow suit.

Because, you see, they LOVE their brother.  And that LOVE is trumped by no other, including love of their mom or dad.  They want to be where he is.  Right where he is. In fact, it seems that the closer they can get, the happier they are.

Which is why I often find myself nursing the baby with a toddler "hugging" him, (or rather, it's laying on him and saying, "awwwwwww."  It's like double-decker boys). Meanwhile, Caly parks herself on my shoulders and Lex wiggles her way under one of my arms.

This wouldn't be that bad if they would JUST stay STILL. But instead, I'm a Mom trapped beneath a squirming, squealing, poking, bouncing mass of children.

I know it won't last forever.  And there's something special about having all of my little ones snuggled up to me at the same time.

But someone might need to remind me of that while I'm fending off small toes from my poking into my ears and dodging flying limbs to the head. And if that person can arrange for me to pee without tiny "helpers?"  Bonus!

Kids and Caterpillars

After driving back from Lex's dance class today, the girls pleaded to stay outside and play.  The thought of having to go inside to referee fights, listen to whining and hungry kids, and prepare dinner was making me cranky so I thought about it.  Since the stupid heat was no longer burning my eyelids, I agreed.  When I was getting Sayer out of the car, some movement by my foot caught my eye.  It was the furriest, fastest caterpillar I've seen in our yard since we moved in.  Of course I called the girls over to investigate.

The two littles spent a good amount of time squealing and pointing while Lex tried to coax the caterpillar onto a leaf.  Sayer was particularly interested in where the bug went and followed his sister everywhere, trying to see. 

At one point, it fell into the garden and I truly thought he was going to go headfirst in after it.

After awhile, Lex got brave... sort of.  She'd let the caterpillar crawl on her hand or arm and then she'd start giggling uncontrollably.

And every time she giggled, the caterpillar would slip off onto the ground again, she'd squeal, and Sayer and Caly would crack up. 

They did it over and over and over, cracking up every. single. time. 

Lex was pretty proud of herself for finally picking up the caterpillar and by the end of the day, she was letting it crawl all over her arm, still giggling, but not flailing anymore. 

I just loved watching my three play together without fighting, arguing, crying, whining, and best of all?   Watching their faces light up like this:

I'm a blessed Mama... no doubt. 

Hope

Will he call her for advice before he proposes to his future wife?

Will he promise to beat up the boys that break her heart?

Will she tease him mercilessly before his first date but wait up for him to come home so she can hear all about it?

Will they share inside jokes?

Will they scheme and plot to get their way when mom and dad say no?

Will she put him in a headlock and give him noogies while she's taller than he is?  Will he tackle her with payback when he's taller?

Will they always love each other so much? 

Will they always make my heart feel so full?